Systems and methods for vehicle condition inspection for shared vehicles

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for managing a condition of a vehicle based on initial image data. The initial image data depicts an initial condition of a physical component of the vehicle. The system includes an image sensor and an environment sensor. The system includes processor-executable instructions to detect, via the environment sensor, an environment condition corresponding to a potential vehicle damaging event. In response to detecting the environment condition, the system generates, via the image sensor, just-in-time image data of the physical component of the vehicle. The system compares the just-in-time image data and the initial image data to identify a vehicle condition change. In response to identifying a vehicle condition change, the system transmits, to a computing device, the just-in-time image data.

FIELD

The present application generally relates to vehicle inspection and, inparticular, to systems and methods of vehicle condition inspection forshared vehicles.

BACKGROUND

Vehicle rental or sharing services offer consumers convenient or costeffective opportunities for utilizing vehicles without needing to make asubstantial monetary expenditure. Vehicle rental facilities are commonlylocated near airport arrival terminals or in urban areas, whereconsumers can rent a vehicle on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.Vehicle share programs, such as ZipCar™ or other similar services, offervehicle sharing arrangements. In some examples, vehicle fuel andinsurance costs are included. Vehicle share programs can place vehiclepick-up/drop-off stations at one or more locations throughout a city(e.g., at shopping malls, apartment/condominium parking garages, etc.).Consumers can identify a desired vehicle, identify a desired pick-uplocation, and utilize the vehicle for a desired duration of time (e.g.,hourly, daily, monthly, etc.).

Vehicle rental companies and companies offering car sharing servicesexpend significant time and monetary resources to ensure the vehiclesthey offer are in good physical and operating condition. To do so, thesecompanies conduct vehicle inspections for documenting vehicle conditionwhen a consumer picks up the vehicle and when the consumer returns/dropsoff the vehicle. The consumer can be charged for any identified damagethat may occur between the time a consumer picks up the vehicle and whenthe consumer returns the vehicle. Vehicle rental companies commonly lookfor body panel dents, scratches, wheel damage, odour damage (e.g.,cigarette smoke), upholstery tears, etc. The vehicle inspection processis commonly a manual process. Further, the inspection process is oftenrushed and the consumer may not be provided with ample opportunity toagree to an initial condition of the vehicle, thereby promulgatingpotential disputes as to whether the consumer should bear the costs ofidentified damage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanyingdrawings which show example embodiments of the present application, andin which:

FIG. 1 illustrates, in block diagram form, a simplified vehicle, inaccordance with an example of the present application;

FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates an example system, in accordancewith an example of the present application;

FIG. 3 illustrates, in flowchart form, a method of managing a conditionof a vehicle, in accordance with an example of the present application;

FIG. 4 illustrates, in flowchart form, a method of managing a conditionof a vehicle, in accordance with another example of the presentapplication; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a remote server, inaccordance with an example of the present application.

Similar reference numerals may have been used in different figures todenote similar components. DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

In a first aspect, the present application describes a vehicleinspection system for managing a condition of a vehicle based on initialimage data. The initial image data depicts an initial condition of aphysical component of the vehicle. The system includes a processor, animage sensor coupled to the processor, an environment sensor coupled tothe processor, and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory storesprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor to: detect, via the environment sensor, an environmentcondition corresponding to a potential vehicle damaging event and, inresponse, generate, via the image sensor, just-in-time image data of thephysical component of the vehicle; compare the just-in-time image dataand the initial image data to identify a vehicle condition change; andin response to identifying a vehicle condition change, transmitting, toa computing device, the just-in-time image data.

In another aspect, the present application describes a method ofmanaging a condition of a vehicle based on initial image data. Thevehicle includes an image sensor and an environment sensor. The initialimage data depicts an initial condition of a physical component of thevehicle. The method includes: detecting, via the environment sensor, anenvironment condition corresponding to a potential vehicle damagingevent and, in response, generating, via the image sensor, just-in-timeimage data of the physical component of the vehicle; comparing thejust-in-time image data and the initial image data to identify a vehiclecondition change; and in response to identifying a vehicle conditionchange, transmitting, to a computing device, the just-in-time imagedata.

In yet a further aspect, the present application describesnon-transitory computer-readable storage medium storingprocessor-readable instructions that, when executed, configure aprocessor to perform one or more of the methods described herein. Inthis respect, the term processor is intended to include all types ofprocessing circuits or chips capable of executing program instructions.

Other aspects and features of the present application will be understoodby those of ordinary skill in the art from a review of the followingdescription of examples in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

In the present application, the terms “about”, “approximately”, and“substantially” are meant to cover variations that may exist in theupper and lower limits of the ranges of values, such as variations inproperties, parameters, and dimensions. In a non-limiting example, theterms “about”, “approximately”, and “substantially” may mean plus orminus 10 percent or less.

In the present application, the term “and/or” is intended to cover allpossible combinations and sub-combinations of the listed elements,including any one of the listed elements alone, any sub-combination, orall of the elements, and without necessarily excluding additionalelements.

In the present application, the phrase “at least one of . . . or . . . ”is intended to cover any one or more of the listed elements, includingany one of the listed elements alone, any sub-combination, or all of theelements, without necessarily excluding any additional elements, andwithout necessarily requiring all of the elements.

Vehicle rental facilities are commonly located near airport arrivalterminals or in urban areas. Vehicle rental facilities can have largecapacity parking facilities to offer numerous vehicle renters access torental vehicles. Vehicle share programs, such as ZipCar™ or othersimilar services, provide vehicle pickup/drop off locations in a numberof convenient locations throughout a region, such as at shopping malls,apartment/condominium parking garages, etc. As respective vehicle sharepickup/drop off locations may only have a limited number of parkingspaces (e.g., 2 to 10 spaces for vehicles), vehicle share programs maynot employ dedicated vehicle inspection resources at the respectivevehicle pickup/drop off locations for vehicle inspection. The vehiclesmay only be periodically inspected and the vehicle share companies maybear the cost of vehicle damage caused by a user. Further, as vehicleshare programs are based on platforms that offer electronic reservationsvia computer networks, vehicle sharing programs may not havebrick-and-mortar facilities at the respective vehicle pickup/drop offlocations.

Vehicle rental companies and companies offering car sharing services mayconduct manual vehicle inspections. In some scenarios, a vehiclecondition is documented when the consumer picks up the vehicle. Aninitial vehicle condition report can include a record of pre-existingvehicle damage prior to the consumer picking up the vehicle. Uponreturning the vehicle, a subsequent vehicle inspection is conducted toidentify any undocumented damage. The undocumented damage may be chargedback to the consumer.

Before the consumer is provided with vehicle keys or access to operatethe vehicle, some systems utilize image capture devices for documentingan initial vehicle condition and a post-rental vehicle condition. Theimage capture devices may be hand operated devices and the pre-rentalcondition image data can be based on substantially different cameraangles or lighting conditions than camera angles or lighting conditionsof the post-rental condition image data. Accordingly, it can bechallenging to perform a comparison of the “before condition” and the“after condition” when the image conditions may substantially differ.

Further, systems that rely on image capture devices for documenting thepre-rental condition and the post-rental condition can lead to thevehicle rental company bearing costs of latent discovery of vehicledamage. For example, physical damage (e.g., minor dents, scratches,etc.) to a vehicle exterior may occur early in the vehicle rental timeduration; however, if the vehicle exterior becomes soiled (e.g., dirt,winter road salt, etc.), the image captures of the “after condition” maynot reveal the physical damage until such time that the vehicle iswashed. In another example, odour damage (e.g., cigarette smoke, cigarsmoke, etc.) to the vehicle interior may occur early in the vehiclerental time duration; however, if the vehicle renter applies an odourmasking product (e.g., fragrance product, etc.) prior to returning thevehicle, the post-rental vehicle inspection may not detect the odourdamage, even though the odour damage may already have ruined the vehicleupholstery. After the vehicle renter has paid for the rental and afterthe vehicle has been processed, vehicle companies may be unable toretroactively attribute latent discovery of vehicle damage to a priorvehicle renter.

The present application describes systems and methods to detectunordinary environment conditions that can result in vehicle damageduring a vehicle rental duration of time and generate just-in-time imagedata of the physical portion of the vehicle representing a subsequentvehicle condition that can be compared to initial sensor datarepresenting an initial vehicle condition. The just-in-time image datarepresents the vehicle condition at a time near the occurrence of apotential vehicle damaging event.

Reference is made to FIG. 1, which illustrates, in block diagram form, asimplified vehicle 110, in accordance with an example of the presentapplication. The vehicle 110 includes a controller 102. The controller102 includes one or more processors, memory, executable programinstructions, and various input, output, and communication subsystems.The vehicle 110 may include one or more wireless antennas 170 to enablewireless communication with remote computing devices, including throughcellular data communications, wireless local area networks, dedicatedshort-range communications (DSRC), or any other wireless communicationsprotocol. The controller may be implemented by, or a part of, thevehicle electronic computer system that control various aspects of thevehicle operations and a plurality of sensors that gather vehicle data.

In examples described herein, vehicles can be motor vehicles (e.g.,automobiles, cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, etc.), aircrafts (e.g.,airplanes, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unmannedaircraft systems, drones, etc.), spacecrafts (e.g., spaceplanes, spaceshuttles, space capsules, space stations, etc.), watercrafts (e.g.,ships, boats, hovercrafts, submarines, etc.), railed vehicles (e.g.,trains, trams, etc.), or other types of vehicles including anycombinations of the foregoing.

The vehicle 110 can include one or more image sensors 112 positioned onthe vehicle for capturing one or more images of physical component ofthe vehicle. For example, an image sensor 112 can be an image capturedevice that is positioned at a side view mirror. The image sensor 112can be oriented to have a field of view to capture images of theexternal portions of the vehicle. For example, the image sensor 112 canbe oriented to capture image data of a door panel, a quarter panel, afender, a wheel rim/tire, a windshield/window, or any other physicalcomponent on the vehicle that may be damaged during the course ofvehicle operation or when the vehicle is parked in a parking facility.

In some examples, the image sensor 112 can be an in-vehicle image sensorfor capturing image data of the vehicle interior. That is, the imagesensor 112 can be positioned on an in-vehicle center rear view mirrorand have a field of view covering the passenger cabin of the vehicle.The image sensor 112 can include other example image capture devicesthat can be mounted at any other position on the vehicle 110 forcapturing image data of the physical condition of the vehicle. Imagedata can be associated with time stamps or other time data such that theimage data can be compared with image data associated with a subsequentor future time for identifying changes to the vehicle condition.

The vehicle 110 can include one or more environment sensors 114. Anenvironment sensor 114 can detect environment conditions and generatedata for determining whether the environment conditions meet specifiedthreshold values. For example, the environment delta sensor 114 can bean electronic nose sensor or airborne irritant sensor (or detector) fordetecting airborne irritants. Some airborne irritants can includecigarette smoke, cigar smoke, etc. In some examples, the airborneirritant sensor can generate data for determining whether the level ofdetected airborne irritants exceeds a specified irritant thresholdvalue. In examples, rental vehicle companies or vehicle sharing programsmay deem cigarette or cigar smoking as a prohibited in-vehicle activity.The environment sensor 114 can be configured to detect cigarette smokeor cigar smoke. In some examples, in response to detecting the airborneirritant, the controller 102 can generate, via the image sensor 112,image data of the vehicle interior or the vehicle passenger cabin foridentifying the source of the airborne irritant. In examples where oneor more vehicle occupants are engaged in smoking within the vehicle, theimage sensor 112 can generate image data for displaying images of thevehicle occupant participating in the prohibited in-vehicle activity,thereby providing documented proof that the vehicle occupant causedsmoke damage, for example, to the upholstery.

Continuing with the above described example, the controller 102 candisplay the image data on a display 116 or provide an audiblenotification via a speaker 118 for signaling that the airborne irritantis detected and that an image of the occupant causing smoke damage hasbeen captured. In some examples, the display may include a messageindicating that additional vehicle rental charges may apply for cleaningthe vehicle interior. It can be appreciated that by detecting theairborne irritant and notifying the vehicle occupant that such adetection has occurred, the vehicle occupant may be reminded thatsmoking is prohibited. Thus, the system described herein can proactivelymitigate the extent of smoke damage to the vehicle interior.

In some examples, the environment sensor 114 can include an impactsensor for detecting impact that is incident, for example, on a bodypanel of the vehicle. In some examples, the impact sensor can generatedata for determining whether the force of the impact to the body panelmay correspond to an event resulting in a scratch, dent, paint chip, orother physical damage to the vehicle. In some examples, the impactsensor can be installed about the vehicle body panels, such as doorpanels, quarter panels, fenders, bumpers, or the like.

In some examples, the environment sensor 114 can include an acousticsensor positioned proximal to a windshield or a vehicle window. In someexamples, the acoustic sensor can detect acoustic input, generate anacoustic signal based on the acoustic input, and determine whether theacoustic signal is similar to an acoustic signal representing a foreignobject incident on the windshield or the vehicle window. For example,the acoustic sensor can generate the acoustic signal to determinewhether the detected acoustic input may indicate a stone or otherforeign object hitting the windshield and causing a chip or crack onglass.

In some examples, the environment sensor 114 can include a shock sensorfor detecting vehicle vibration. In some examples, the shock sensor candetect vibration or sudden shock at a vehicle suspension system that isgreater than a threshold shock value. For example, the shock sensor cangenerate data for determining whether the force of an abrupt shocklikely corresponds to the vehicle 110 hitting a curb, rolling over aspeed bump at a high rate of speed, or other vehicle movement that cancause damage to an underside of the vehicle. As illustrating examples,the shock sensor can be configured to detect shock associated with thevehicle hitting a curb, resulting in wheel rim damage or resulting indamage to vehicle components that are exposed underneath the vehicle. Inanother example, the shock sensor can be configured to detect shockassociated with the vehicle traveling over road obstacles, resulting invehicle components becoming dislodged (e.g., exhaust pipe dislodgingfrom brackets and dangling along road surface).

In some examples, the environment sensor 114 can include one or moreproximity sensors positioned about the vehicle exterior for detecting adistance between the vehicle and a nearby foreign object or obstacle.Further, the vehicle 110 can include one or more image sensorsassociated with a respective proximity sensor, such that the imagesensor may be configured to capture image data of the physical portionof the vehicle proximal to the proximity sensor when the proximitysensor determines that the vehicle may be less than a threshold distancefrom a foreign object or obstacle. The captured image data may be usedfor documenting, at approximately the time of the potential vehicledamaging event, changes to the vehicle condition that may cause damage(e.g., scratches, dents, or the like). The controller 102 can associatethe detection of the vehicle exterior being less than a thresholddistance from a foreign object to images of a potential damage event. Insome examples, the image sensor 112 may provide image data representinga series of image captures or a video data stream. The series of imagecaptures or the video data stream may be helpful in scenarios where thedamage event may be sudden and a single or discrete image capture maynot adequately capture the damage event. For example, the video datastream can capture the damage occurrence at a time that may be before,during, and after the damage event.

It can be appreciated that the environment sensor 114 can include othertypes of sensors for detecting conditions that may correspond to apotential vehicle damaging event. As described herein, the environmentsensor 114 can detect a potential vehicle damaging event, generate datafor determining whether a threshold value is reached, and, if so,generate, via the image sensor 112, just-in-time image data fordepicting the vehicle condition change (e.g., dents, scratches, tears,evidence of source causing odour, etc.) caused by the detectedenvironment condition.

The vehicle 110 can include a display 116, such as a dashboard LCD orLED screen and/or icons that may be selectively illuminated in thedashboard. The vehicle 110 can include one or more speakers 118 throughwhich audible alerts or other sounds can be played.

The vehicle 110 includes a memory 104 storing processor-executableinstructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to carryout some of the operations described herein. The processor-executableinstructions may be in the form of modules, applications, or othercomputer programs, and may be standalone programs or incorporated intolarger programs relating to vehicles.

As an example, the vehicle 110 can include a vehicle inspectionapplication 106 and sensor data 108. The vehicle inspection application106 can include instructions for generating image data of one or morephysical portions of the vehicle 110. The image data can represent thecondition of the vehicle 110 at that particular time or time slot. Theimage data can subsequently be stored as sensor data 108 in the memory104. In some examples, the image data can be associated with time-stampssuch that the image data can be associated with a vehicle condition atthe beginning of a vehicle rental (or vehicle share) period, or can beassociated with a vehicle condition at any other time period.

As will be described herein, image data can include just-in-time imagedata that is associated with a physical condition of the vehicle at atime when the environment sensor 114 detects an environment conditionthat may correspond to a potential vehicle damaging event. Examples ofenvironment condition changes can include introduction of airborneirritants or odours to the vehicle interior, unordinary vibration orshock to the vehicle suspension while the vehicle is in operation,impact by a foreign object incident on an external portion of thevehicle, or other external impetus to the vehicle that can cause vehicledamage.

In some examples, the vehicle inspection application 106 can includeinstructions, that when executed, cause the processor of the controller102 to generate, via the image sensor 112, just-in-time image data ofone or more physical portions of the vehicle when the controller 102detects an environment condition corresponding to a potential vehicledamaging device. The just-in-time image data can represent a vehiclecondition at a discrete point in time or a time slot subsequent to aninitial vehicle inspection (e.g., beginning of a vehicle rental timeperiod). The controller 102 can compare the just-in-time image data(associated with image data when the unordinary environment condition isdetected) with initial image data (associated with an initial vehiclecondition at the beginning of a vehicle rental period) for identifyingvehicle condition changes. The vehicle inspection application 106 caninclude other instructions that, when executed, cause the processor ofthe controller 102 to carry other operations as described herein.

It can be appreciated that the vehicle 110 can include other electrical,mechanical, or electro-mechanical components or systems that directlycontrol elements of the vehicle 110. Further, these other electrical,mechanical, or electro-mechanical components may also operate inresponse to commands or messages from the controller 102.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which diagrammatically illustrates anexample system 200, in accordance with an example of the presentapplication. The system 200 can include one or more vehicles 210. Forexample, the system 200 can include a first vehicle 210 a in wirelesscommunication, via a network 250, with a remote server 290. The system200 can further include a second vehicle 210 b, a third vehicle 210 c,or any number of N vehicles 210 n that are also in wirelesscommunication with the remote server 290. The network 250 can include aplurality of interconnected wired and/or wireless networks, includingthe Internet, wireless local area networks, wide area networks, cellularnetworks, or the like.

The remote server 290 may include one or more computing devicesconnected to the network 250 and may be configured for datacommunication with any of the vehicles 210. The remote server 290 mayinclude one or more processors, memory, and processor-executableinstructions that, when executed, cause the processors to carry out oneor more of the operations described herein. The processor-executableinstructions may be in the form of modules, applications, or othercomputer programs, and may be standalone programs or incorporated intolarger programs relating to vehicles.

For example, the remote server 290 may be a vehicle management serveroperated by a vehicle rental company or a car sharing company, or thelike. The remote server 290 may include a vehicle management application292 for managing vehicles, including the plurality of vehicles 210 ofFIG. 2.

In some examples, the remote server 290 can include vehicle data 294.The vehicle data 294 can include data associated with a fleet of rentalvehicles that the remote server 290 may manage. The vehicle data 294 maybe stored in a database structure for tracking the vehicle make/model,mileage information, vehicle history, or successive image datarepresenting vehicle condition of the respective vehicles 210.

In some examples, the system can include an external image capturedevice 260 in communication with the remote server 290 or incommunication with any one of the vehicles 210. The external imagecapture device 260 can be an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a dronedevice, or the like, having an image capture device thereon. Theexternal image capture device 260 can be deployed by any of the devices(e.g., remote server 290, vehicles 210, etc.) of the system 200 tonavigate to within geographical proximity of one of the vehicles 210 forcapturing image data of a physical portion of the respective vehicle. Insome other examples, the external image capture device 260 can be animage capture device operated by a technician at a vehicle returnfacility for capturing image data representing a vehicle condition of avehicle. Accordingly, the external image capture device 260 may beoperated for capturing image data of the vehicles 210, individually, andthe image data can correspond to images captured from a variety ofdifferent camera angles.

In some examples, the system can include a client device 240. The clientdevice 240 can be a mobile device that is associated with a vehicleoperator of one of the vehicles 210. A respective vehicle 210 or theremote server 290 may transmit a notification message to the clientdevice 240, including image data representing the physical condition ofthe respective vehicle 210. Further, the notification message caninclude a request for the vehicle operator to acknowledge or confirmthat the image data accurately represents the current physical conditionof the vehicle 210.

As an illustrative example, the remote server 290 can conduct operationsfor managing a vehicle pick-up/vehicle drop-off process for vehiclerental or vehicle sharing. For example, the vehicles 210 mayrespectively be equipped with one or more image sensors 112 (FIG. 1) andone or more environment sensors 114 (FIG. 1). The image sensors 112 canbe within a vehicle for capturing image data of the vehicle interior orcan be external to the vehicle for capturing a condition of physicalcomponents of the vehicle (e.g., body/door panels, windows, wheel/rim,etc.). The environment sensor 114 can be an odour or electronic nosesensor mounted within the vehicle for detecting airborne irritants, canbe impact sensors positioned at one or more body/door panels or bumpers,or the like, as described herein. Upon vehicle pick-up by a vehiclerenter, the remote server 290 can initiate the image sensors 112 forgenerating image data of the physical condition of the vehicle. In someexamples, the remote server 290 can initiate the odour or electronicnose sensor for generating an “odour rating” of the vehicle interior(e.g., good/bad rating). For example, if the vehicle interior is free ofodours from cigarette smoke or other offensive odour, the initialolfactory condition can be “good”; whereas if the vehicle interior isriddled with cigarette smoke or other airborne irritant, the initialolfactory condition can be indicated as “poor”. In some examples, the“odour rating” can be on a sliding scale for providing some quantitativeindication of an olfactory condition of the vehicle interior.

The remote server 290 can aggregate the initial image data and the“odour rating” and generate an initial vehicle condition report fortransmission to the client device 240. That is, the client device 240may be associated with the vehicle renter. The vehicle renter may, viathe client device 240, receive the initial vehicle condition report,including the image data and “odour rating” data, and can compare theresults of the initial vehicle condition report to the actual vehiclefor confirming whether the initial vehicle condition report findingsreflect the present vehicle condition. The remote server 290 maysubsequently receive an acceptance or a decline signal representingfeedback from the vehicle renter.

In the event that the vehicle renter disputes the initial vehiclecondition report findings as not reflecting the present vehiclecondition, the remote server 290 can transmit a signal to a managementdevice for requesting that an inspection agent attend to the vehiclerenter/vehicle location. In the event that that the vehicle renteraccepts the initial vehicle condition report findings, the remote server290 may transmit a signal to the vehicle for enabling the vehicle foroperation (e.g., enabling the vehicle ignition, unlocking the vehicledoors, providing lockbox location for vehicle keys, etc.). It can beappreciated that the remote server 290 can conduct operations formanaging the respective vehicles in a fleet, such as retrieving imagesensor or environment sensor data for capturing data representingvehicle condition for the respective vehicles 210.

In some scenarios, when a vehicle renter returns a car to the vehiclerental company, the remote server 290 can transmit a signal to the imagesensors 112 or environment sensors 114 to generate image datarepresenting the present vehicle condition (e.g., vehicle condition uponvehicle return) and sensor data representing an olfactory condition ofthe vehicle interior in a similar way to when the vehicle was picked upby the vehicle renter. Because the image sensors 112 or the environmentsensors 114 are positioned on the vehicle at a substantially fixedposition, the generated image or sensor data may be obtained fromsubstantially similar field of view or position as when the data wasgenerated on vehicle pick-up. The remote server 290 can generate avehicle condition report for the vehicle return condition. The vehiclecondition report can include substantially side-by-side images comparingthe vehicle condition at pick-up and at return. Any detected vehicledamage can be depicted on a display (e.g., at the remote server 290 orat a remote device associated with the vehicle renter) for the vehiclerenter to examine and the remote server 290 can generate an invoiceassociated with the vehicle damage to the vehicle renter.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which illustrates, in flowchart form, amethod of managing a condition of a vehicle, in accordance with anexample of the present application. The method 300 includes operationsthat may be carried out by one or more processors of the example vehicle110 of FIG. 1. The method 300 may be implemented, at least in part,through processor-executable instructions associated with the vehicleinspection application 106 (FIG. 1). In some examples, one or more ofthe operations may be implemented via processor-executable instructionsin other applications or in an operating system and executed in memoryof the remote server 110.

The method for managing the vehicle condition of the vehicle can bebased on initial image data, and the initial image data can depict aninitial condition of a physical component of the vehicle (e.g., vehicledoor panel, quarter panel, bumper, etc.). In some examples, theprocessor can receive the initial image data from one or more imagesensors during a vehicle pick-up operation for capturing an initialvehicle condition at the beginning of a vehicle rental period. In someexamples, the processor can also receive an initial olfactory conditionfrom an odour sensor within the vehicle for capturing an initial odourcondition at the beginning of the vehicle rental period.

At operation 310, the processor detects, via an environment sensor 114(FIG. 1), an environment condition corresponding to a potential vehicledamaging event. For example, the environment sensor 114 can be anairborne irritant sensor and the processor can detect whether anairborne irritant is within the vehicle causing the environmentcondition to change. Cigarette or cigar smoke, for example, may be anairborne irritant that can cause smoke damage to the vehicle upholstery.In some examples, the vehicle rental company may prohibit smoking withinthe vehicle and the environment sensor 114 can detect when vehicle smokeis detected within the vehicle.

In some examples, the environment sensor 114 can be an impact sensor fordetecting impact incident on a body or door panel of the vehicle. Insome examples, the environment sensor 114 can include an acoustic sensorpositioned proximal to a window of the vehicle for detecting acousticinput corresponding to a foreign object incident on the window. In someexamples, the environment sensor 114 can include a vibration or shocksensor for detecting sudden or sustained shock to the vehicle that isgreater than a threshold value.

In response to detecting the environment condition corresponding to thepotential vehicle damaging event, the processor, at operation 320, cangenerate, via the image sensor 112 (FIG. 1) just-in-time image data ofthe physical component of the vehicle. In some examples, just-in-timeimage data can be timely image data that is captured at the onset of atriggering event. For example, in response to an airborne irritantsensor detecting smoke within the vehicle interior, the processor cangenerate, via an image sensor mounted within the vehicle, image data forcapturing image data of the vehicle cabin. The image data of the vehiclecabin may capture the state of the vehicle interior at approximately thetime when smoke was detected, thereby providing documented proof that avehicle occupant was smoking and caused smoke damage to the upholstery.In some examples, the documented proof may be selectively obscured(e.g., to alleviate privacy concerns) yet provide sufficient informationfor validating that a vehicle renter has smoked within the vehicle.

In some examples, just-in-time image data can be timely image data thatis captured upon detected impact to a vehicle body portion and cancapture the state of the vehicle body portion at approximately the timewhen the impact was detected (e.g., vehicle door, bumper, etc.). Thus,the just-in-time image data can capture the vehicle damage (e.g., dent,scratch, etc.) before risk that the vehicle condition may subsequentlychange in a way that may mask the vehicle damage.

In some examples, the just-in-time image data can be timely image datathat is captured upon detected acoustic input corresponding to a foreignobject being incident on the window. For example, when the processordetects acoustic input that corresponds to a stone hitting a windshield,the processor can generate, via an image sensor, just-in-time image dataof the windshield for capturing the state of the windshield atapproximately the time when the stone chip may have occurred. In thepresent example, the processor can conduct acoustic processingoperations for identifying whether an acoustic input includes acousticcharacteristics (e.g., pitch, amplitude, tone, etc.) of one or morestones hitting a windshield.

In some examples, the just-in-time image data can be timely image datathat is captured upon vibration or shock to the vehicle that is greaterthan a threshold value. For example, a shock sensor can be associatedwith the vehicle suspension and the image sensor can be oriented tocapture image data of an underside of the vehicle. When the processordetects vibration or shock to the vehicle that is greater than athreshold value (e.g., when the vehicle hits a large pot hole, a curb,or large speed bump at high speed), the processor can generate, via theimage sensor oriented at an underside of the vehicle, just-in-time imagedata for capturing the state of the vehicle underside at approximatelythe time when the vibration or shock may have occurred. It can beappreciated that just-in-time image data can be timely image data ofother portions of the vehicle and the above-described scenarios areillustrating examples.

At operation 330, the processor can compare the just-in-time image dataand the initial image data to identify a vehicle condition change. Forexample, the processor can conduct image processing operations foridentifying that just-in-time image data of a driver-side door depicts adent that is not shown in initial image data depicting an initialvehicle condition (e.g., when the vehicle was picked-up by the vehiclerenter). In some other examples, the processor can similarly conductimage processing operations for identifying that just-in-time image dataof the vehicle underside depicts an exhaust pipe that is displaced froman expected position depicted in initial image data of the vehicleunderside.

In some examples, the processor can identify, by conducting imagerecognition operations from the just-in-time image data, that one ormore vehicle occupants may have lit a cigarette or cigar and may beactively smoking within the vehicle (e.g., prohibited in-vehicleactivity, per a vehicle rental company).

In response to identifying the vehicle condition change, the processor,at operation 340, can transmit, to a computing device, the just-in-timeimage data. That is, the processor can transmit the just-in-time imagedata to the vehicle display 116 (FIG. 1) and the processor can output atleast one of an audible or visual notification for signaling to thevehicle occupant that the potential vehicle damaging event is detected.

In the above-described example where the processor can identify, byimage recognition operations, that one or more vehicle occupants may besmoking within the vehicle the processor can output an audible sound forsignaling that an airborne irritant is detected and can output a visualnotification, such as a textual message or a vehicle interior imagebased on the just-in-time image data depicting to the vehicle occupantthat document proof of smoking within the vehicle has been captured.

In other examples, the processor can transmit the just-in-time imagedata for display on the vehicle display 116 for depicting a recentlydetected dent or scratch in the vehicle door, or other vehicle damagecondition. In some scenarios where operating the vehicle may furthercause vehicle dents or scratches, depicting the recently detected dentor scratch in the vehicle door can provide an indication to the vehicleoccupant of the damage and the vehicle occupant can mitigate potentialfor further damage (e.g., stop vehicle operation).

In some examples described above, operation 330 is conducted by theprocessor of the vehicle 110. However, in some other examples, operation330 can be conducted at the remote server 290 (FIG. 2). To do so, inresponse to generating just-in-time image data of the physical componentof the vehicle, the processor can transmit the just-in-time image datato the remote server 290 and the remote server 290 can conductoperations for comparing the just-in-time image data and the initialimage data for identifying the vehicle condition change. In the presentexample, the vehicle may operate akin to a thin client device forconducting operations for detecting an environment conditioncorresponding to a potential vehicle damaging event and, in response,generating just-in-time image data. The vehicle may then transmit thegenerated just-in-time image data to the remote server 290 forconducting operations to identify a vehicle condition change.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which illustrates, in flowchart form, amethod 400 of managing a condition of a vehicle, in accordance withanother example of the present application. The method 400 includesoperations that may be carried out by one or more processors of theexample vehicle 110 of FIG. 1. The method 400 may be implemented, atleast in part, through processor-executable instructions associated withthe vehicle inspection application 106 (FIG. 1). In some examples, oneor more of the operations may be implemented via processor-executableinstructions in other applications or in an operating system andexecuted in memory of the remote server 110.

In response to identifying a vehicle condition change (e.g., operation330 of FIG. 3), the processor, at operation 410, can display a messageseeking acknowledgement from a vehicle occupant of a damage assessmentto the vehicle. In some examples, the processor can display the messageon a vehicle heads up display, such as the display 116 (FIG. 1). Themessage can include user interface elements for detecting signalsrepresenting an “accept” or “dispute” options from the vehicle occupant.The displayed message can include images based on the just-in-time imagedata for displaying timely image data that is captured at the onset ofthe environment condition change or a triggering event. In someexamples, the displayed message can include an image based on initialimage data (e.g., depicting an initial vehicle condition at time vehiclerenter picked up vehicle) alongside another image based on just-in-timeimage data (e.g., depicting a timely image illustrating potential damageto the vehicle). In some examples, the image sensor that is used forcapturing image data may be positioned on the vehicle at a substantiallyfixed position for generating the initial image data and thejust-in-time image data with a substantially similar view. Thus,operations for comparing the initial image data to the just-in-timeimage data can compare images captured from a substantially similarfield of view (e.g., “apples-to-apples” comparison), thus facilitatingincreased accuracy of the image comparison operations for identifyingvehicle condition changes.

In some examples, the processor can subsequently receive a signalrepresenting a response that the vehicle operator agrees with the damageassessment. The processor can, subsequently, transmit a record of theresponse that the vehicle operator agrees with the damage assessment tothe remote server 290 (FIG. 2) for storage at the vehicle data 294.Accordingly, the record of the detected change in vehicle condition orvehicle damage can be captured and used as documented proof of damage inthe event that the vehicle renter disputes charges associated with thevehicle damage.

However, in the scenario where the processor receives a signalrepresenting a response that the vehicle operator disagrees with thedamage assessment, at operation 420, the processor can disable at leastone vehicle feature to preserve the vehicle state.

For example, in the event that an environment sensor 114 (FIG. 1) suchas a shock sensor detects a sudden vibration or shock greater than athreshold shock value, the processor can generate just-in-time imagedata of the vehicle underside. In the event that the processordetermines that the vehicle underside condition has changed, theprocessor can display a message seeking acknowledgement from a vehicleoccupant of a damage assessment to the vehicle. That is, the processormay have identified using image processing operations that one or morecomponents exposed at the vehicle underside may have been displaced ordangling from an expected position. In the event that the processorreceives a signal representing a response that the vehicle operator doesnot see any damage to the vehicle underside condition (e.g., disagreeswith the damage assessment), the processor can disable the vehicle toprevent further operation of the vehicle so as to preserve the vehiclestate. For example, if a portion of the vehicle exhaust pipe is danglingfrom an expected position, it may be hazardous to continue operating thevehicle. In other examples, depending on the magnitude of the identifiedvehicle condition change (e.g., vehicle damage), the processor candisable vehicle features that may have less impact to the vehicleoperator.

At operation 430, the processor can transmit, to the remote server 290,a signal representing a request for vehicle inspection. Continuing withthe above-described example relating to a portion of the vehicle exhaustpipe dangling from the expected position, the processor can transmit asignal to the remote server 290 a signal representing a request forvehicle inspection. That is, the signal representing the request can beused for dispatching a roadside assistance team for addressing thevehicle damage. In some scenarios, preserving the vehicle state afteridentifying vehicle condition change that may be indicative of vehicledamage can: (1) mitigate risk of any further damage that canincrementally occur; and (2) allow a vehicle rental company operator toattribute vehicle damage to the present vehicle renter at a time that isclose to the time of the damage event.

In some examples, the system 200 (FIG. 2) can include an unmanned aerialimage capture device in communication with the vehicle 110 (FIG. 1). Theprocessor of the vehicle 110 may be configured to conduct furtheroperations for capturing further just-in-time image data in response todetecting a changing environment condition corresponding to a potentialvehicle damaging event. For example, in response to detecting apotential vehicle damaging event, the processor can broadcast a beaconsignal for determining whether the unmanned aerial image capture deviceis in close proximity to the vehicle. In response to determining thatthe unmanned aerial image capture device is in close proximity to thevehicle, the processor can transmit a signal representing instructionsfor capturing aerial just-in-time image data of the vehicle. The aerialjust-in-time image data can provide additional image data to the vehicle110 or to the remote server 290 for identifying vehicle conditionchanges and for documenting proof of damage at a time or time slot thatis proximal to the detected environment condition change. It can beappreciated that just-in-time image data from one or more image sensorsources can be used as documented proof of damage in the event that thevehicle renter disputes charges associated with the identified vehicledamage. Further, capturing and processing just-in-time image data mayassist vehicle rental companies or vehicle sharing companies withminimizing costs relating to latent or after-the-fact discovery ofdamage that may have been masked by dirt or other substances that mayobscure minor vehicle damage.

In some other examples, the system 200 can include a vehicle returnfacility having a driveway having an archway with image capture devicesmounted thereon. The system 200 can capture, via the archway of imagecapture devices, image data of the vehicle condition upon the vehicleleaving the vehicle rental facility and can capture, via the archway ofimage capture devices, image data of the vehicle condition upon thevehicle returning to the vehicle rental facility. The image datacaptured by the archway of image capture devices can provide additionalimage data for identifying vehicle condition changes and for additionalvisual proof of damage, in the event that the vehicle renter disputesthe vehicle condition. It can be appreciated that the system 200 canassociate time stamps or other meta-data like information to thecaptured image data.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5, which illustrates a simplified blockdiagram of the remote server 290 of FIG. 2, in accordance with anexample of the present application. The remote server 290 can includeone or more processors 502 and memory 504. The memory 504 storesprocessor-executable software or applications 506, such as the vehiclemanagement application 292 (FIG. 2). The software or applications 506can contain instructions implementing the operations or functions of thesystems described herein. The memory 504 can also store vehicle data 294(FIG. 2) which can include vehicle data associated with respectivevehicles of a fleet of rental or car share vehicles.

The remote server 500 also includes a communications module 512 fortransmitting and receiving data to and from other devices describedherein. In some examples, the remote server 500 includes a display 510or display interface for providing visual output to a user of the remoteserver 290.

Example embodiments of the present application are not limited to anyparticular operating system, system architecture, mobile devicearchitecture, server architecture, or computer programming language.

It will be understood that the applications, modules, routines,processes, threads, or other software components implementing thedescribed method/process may be realized using standard computerprogramming techniques and languages. The present application is notlimited to particular processors, computer languages, computerprogramming conventions, data structures, or other such implementationdetails. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the describedprocesses may be implemented as a part of computer-executable codestored in volatile or non-volatile memory, as part of anapplication-specific integrated chip (ASIC), etc.

Certain adaptations and modifications of the described embodiments canbe made. Therefore, the above discussed embodiments are considered to beillustrative and not restrictive.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle inspection system for managing acondition of a vehicle based on initial image data, the initial imagedata depicting an initial condition of a physical component of thevehicle, the system comprising: a processor; an image sensor coupled tothe processor; an environment sensor coupled to the processor; and amemory coupled to the processor, the memory storing processor-executableinstructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: detect, viathe environment sensor, an environment condition corresponding to apotential vehicle damaging event and, in response, generate, via theimage sensor, just-in-time image data of the physical component of thevehicle; compare the just-in-time image data and the initial image datato identify a vehicle condition change; and in response to identifying avehicle condition change, transmitting, to a computing device, thejust-in-time image data.
 2. The vehicle inspection system of claim 1,wherein the image sensor is positioned on the vehicle at a substantiallyfixed position for generating the initial image data and thejust-in-time image data with a substantially similar field of view. 3.The vehicle inspection system of claim 1, wherein the just-in-time imagedata includes a series of image captures or a video data stream.
 4. Thevehicle inspection system of claim 1, wherein the environment sensorincludes an airborne irritant sensor, and wherein the image sensorincludes an in-vehicle image sensor for capturing image data of thevehicle interior.
 5. The vehicle inspection system of claim 4, whereinthe airborne irritant sensor is configured to detect smoke within thevehicle interior.
 6. The vehicle inspection system of claim 4, whereinthe instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to: detectthat an airborne irritant is present within the vehicle and, inresponse, output at least one of an audible or visual notification forsignaling that the airborne irritant is detected and for displaying avehicle interior image based on the just-in-time image data.
 7. Thevehicle inspection system of claim 1, wherein the image sensor ispositioned at a side view mirror and oriented for capturing image dataof at least one of a door panel, a quarter panel, or a fender of thevehicle to identify at least one of a scratch, dent, or paint chip. 8.The vehicle inspection system of claim 1, wherein the physical componentof the vehicle is a body panel of the vehicle, and wherein theenvironment sensor includes an impact sensor for detecting impactincident on the body panel, and wherein the image sensor is anexternally mounted image sensor oriented for capturing image data of thebody panel.
 9. The vehicle inspection system of claim 1, wherein thephysical component of the vehicle is a window, and wherein theenvironment sensor is an acoustic sensor positioned proximal to thewindow for detecting acoustic input corresponding to a foreign objectincident on the window, and wherein the image sensor is oriented tocapture image data of the window.
 10. The vehicle inspection system ofclaim 1, wherein the physical component of the vehicle is an undersideof the vehicle, and wherein the environment sensor is a shock sensordetecting suspension vibration greater than a threshold shock value, andwherein the image sensor is oriented to capture image data of theunderside of the vehicle.
 11. The vehicle inspection system of claim 1,wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:display a message inquiring whether the vehicle operator acknowledges adamage assessment to the vehicle; and in response to receiving a signalrepresenting a response that the vehicle operator disagrees with thedamage assessment, disable at least one vehicle feature to preserve thevehicle state; and transmit, to a vehicle management server, a signalrepresenting a request for vehicle inspection.
 12. The vehicleinspection system of claim 1, further comprising an unmanned aerialimage capture device in communication with the vehicle inspectionsystem, and wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause theprocessor to: in response to detecting the environment conditioncorresponding to a potential vehicle damaging event, broadcast a beaconsignal for determining whether the unmanned aerial image capture deviceis in close proximity to the vehicle; and in response to determiningthat the unmanned aerial image capture device is in close proximity tothe vehicle, transmit, to the unmanned aerial image capture device, asignal representing instructions for capturing aerial just-in-time imagedata of the vehicle.
 13. A method of managing a condition of a vehiclebased on initial image data, the vehicle including an image sensor andan environment sensor, the initial image data depicting an initialcondition of a physical component of the vehicle, the method comprising:detecting, via the environment sensor, an environment conditioncorresponding to a potential vehicle damaging event and, in response,generating, via the image sensor, just-in-time image data of thephysical component of the vehicle; comparing the just-in-time image dataand the initial image data to identify a vehicle condition change; andin response to identifying a vehicle condition change, transmitting, toa computing device, the just-in-time image data.
 14. The method of claim13, wherein the image sensor is positioned at a side view mirror andoriented for capturing image data of at least one of a door panel, aquarter panel, or a fender of the vehicle to identify at least one of ascratch, dent, or paint chip.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein thejust-in-time image data includes a series of image captures or a videodata stream.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the environment sensorincludes an airborne irritant sensor, and wherein the image sensorincludes an in-vehicle image sensor for capturing image data of thevehicle interior.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the airborneirritant sensor is configured to detect smoke within the vehicleinterior.
 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the physical component ofthe vehicle is a body panel of the vehicle, and wherein the environmentsensor includes an impact sensor for detecting impact incident on thebody panel, and wherein the image sensor is an externally mounted imagesensor oriented for capturing image data of the body panel.
 19. Themethod of claim 13, wherein the physical component of the vehicle is awindow, and wherein the environment sensor is an acoustic sensorpositioned proximal to the window for detecting acoustic inputcorresponding to a foreign object incident on the window, and whereinthe image sensor is oriented to capture image data of the window.
 20. Anon-transitory computer-readable medium storing processor readableinstructions for operating a vehicle inspection system, the vehicleinspection system for managing a condition of a vehicle based on initialimage data, the initial image data depicting an initial condition of aphysical condition of the vehicle, and wherein the vehicle inspectionsystem includes an image sensor and an environment sensor, and whereinthe instructions, when executed, cause a processor of the vehicleinspection system to: detect, via the environment sensor, an environmentcondition corresponding oa potential vehicle damaging event and, inresponse, generate, via the image sensor, just-in-time image data of thephysical component of the vehicle; compare the just-in-time image dataand the initial image data to identify a vehicle condition change; andin response to identifying a vehicle condition change, transmitting, toa computing device, the just-in-time image data.